Thank you for staying committed to relief efforts to support the people of Ukraine. Here are the things we're reading:
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As we enter a new year, we continue our collaboration with peer philanthropy networks to aid foundations worldwide that are dedicated to supporting how philanthropy has responded to the war in Ukraine. Dive into this month's digest for the latest updates from Ukraine, designed to enrich your ongoing efforts.
If you have questions, feedback, or submissions, don't hesitate to reach out to our Global Philanthropy team. Your engagement makes a difference!
Events and Resources
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, February 29, 2024 for a collaborative webinar by Philea and Council on Foundations. Participate in this meaningful session marking the solemn two-year anniversary of the war. Stay tuned for more details.
Ukrainians received an early Christmas present of sorts when European leaders decided in mid-December to begin membership negotiations with Ukraine. The country’s strategic goal of joining the EU and NATO is enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution.
Russia’s invasion has impacted the date of religious holidays in Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians, most of whom traditionally celebrated Christmas on January 7th, have made the switch to celebrating Christmas on December 25th, in order to be in sync with their Western allies.
Holiday festivities in Ukraine ended abruptly when Russia launched its biggest-to-date barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on December 28-29. Similar attacks occurred on subsequent days.
The Transatlantic Task Force on Ukraine published a two-part opinion piece on the moral and geopolitical imperative of Congressional passage of additional funding for Ukraine noting that: “Providing assistance to Ukraine at this critical juncture may very well be among the most consequential votes that Senators and Congressmen ever take in their careers.”
Speaking to CNN’s Christian Amanpour about the importance of Congressional funding for Ukraine, renown Yale historian Timothy Snyder said: “We need to unblock the aid for Ukraine which will allow the Ukrainians to defend themselves and win this war.... It will change the history of the world." He added that “this all depends on us."
In the European edition of Politico, Matthew Kaminski chastised Western leaders for their “small” thinking when it comes to supporting a decisive victory for Ukraine.
Allowing Russia to win its war in Ukraine would be a self-imposed strategic defeat for the United States argues Nataliya Bugayova of the Institute for the Study of War.
Washington’s obligation to Ukraine began with Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances writes Bohdan Vitvistky in the Hill.
Ukraine Culture and Identity
Russia’s invasion is not only destroying the physical manifestations of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, it is also claiming the lives of Ukrainians at the forefront of shaping the country’s contemporary cultural landscape, writes Martha Holder in Ukraine Alert.
“The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine has posed a challenge to Western political science and international relations, as it has called into question the relevance and accuracy of a large body of knowledge in the Western intellectual community about Ukraine, Russia, and the entire Eastern European region.” That’s the view put forth in an article published by Ukraine World.
The Kyiv Independent has provided readers with a list of ten English-language books to help better understand wartime Ukraine. The piece includes summaries of each of the works.
Sanctioning and Boycotting Russia
The United States has proposed that working groups from the G7 explore ways to seize $300 billion of frozen Russian assets so that options would be ready by February 24, 2024, the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The White House says that Russia has used North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine and that Iran is providing Russia with attack drones. A National Security Council spokesperson said the US would look to impose additional sanctions on North Korean and Iranian entities and individuals facilitating weapons transfers to Russia.
S & P Global Market Intelligence has compiled a timeline of sanctions issued against the Russian government, companies and individuals since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of the Yale School of Management and other experts are contradicting a New York Times article which claims that Putin has turned a boycott by Western companies into a bonanza. In reality, the exit of over 1000 multinationals from Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has “had a crippling effect on business confidence, foreign investment, and the overall Russian economy,” says Sonnenfeld.
